Destruction mechanism of PT and NPT-IGBTs in the short circuit operation-an estimation from the quasi-stationary simulations

There is a spontaneous destruction of IGBT during the load-shorted operation. This paper reports some results of simple quasi-stationary simulations on PT and NPT-IGBT with the same n-collector length and lifetimes, changing the anode structure and driving gate voltages. Through the process of examining the only analysis on such a destruction by Hagino et al. (1996), the author have intended to get a simple image of the critical operation of IGBTs. As the result, in addition to their proposed one, an unknown positive feedback mechanism would seem to exist. Though the destruction limit of IGBTs must be of the order of 1 MW/cm/sup 2/, there would be no universal critical value as the bipolar transistor.